Advertising and warning sign



July 11, 1939. R. s. KIMBALL 2,165,276

ADVERTISING AND WARNING SIGN Filed July 25, 1936 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFHCE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to signs which are illuminated by gas filled tubes carrying electrical energy or more particularly to neon filled tubes and has for its object to provide a new and efficient method or type of floor or side walk advertising or illumination.

A further object is to provide a side walk advertising sign which is made with glass bricks laid in the pavement or road bed and which are made of sufiiciently heavy glass to allow for walking or even trafiic to drive thereover, without breaking the glass but at the same time giving the desired message or warning to the pedestrian or driver.

A further object is to provide a new safety factor which consists of warnings set in the pavements or road beds which will warn the passing traflic of danger or to be cautious such a place being at railroad crossings or school zones or in danger zones for night illumination to slow down road traific or warn the driver that it is dangerous to drive fast or to tell him to stop for crossings 'or like places.

A still further object is to provide a side walk space for advertising which may be used by stores, merchants, theatre owners, etc., and which signs may be made so that the signs may be removed and changed as desired or so that different colors of glass bricks may be used in the surface or different colors of lights used thereunder.

A still further object is to provide a new method of warnings or advertising in which the use of under foot surface is utilized for illuminated signs, warnings, etc.

These and other objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing in which I have shown the device,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a side walk having the neon-filled glass tubes mounted under the glass bricks to provide the suitable changeable signs.

Figure 2 is a section of a single type of side walk illumination or road bed illumination.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a crossing for rail roads showing the danger warnings illuminated. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a form of the device in which each individual letter is formed in a. metal casing.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the letter T shown in Figure 4 through the leg of the T.

This invention relates more particularly to the use of the new glass bricks which have been developed for house building and for the use of 5 utilizing heretofore waste floor or road space for any desired advertising or warnings. Heretofore the only road or side walk advertising or warnings have been painted on the surface and soon wear oil, but with my invention, the setting of the glass surface in the floor or road with the advertising or warnings set thereunder in suitable illuminated letters makes a permanent long wearing sign.

In the drawing of my application I have shown the use of glass bricks A set onto suitable frame work 5 which in turn is set into an opening B in the pavement or floor. The opening B may be of any depth or may be the usual room under the side walk, but across the top of the room I provide a platform 6 carrying the sign elements made of the glass tubes 3 and connections 9 formed into any desired shape or form and made for artistic efiects or for wording of signs, warning-'5, etc.

The platform 6 is adapted to be removed and replaced with a different one, having other designs or wording thereon when, and as desired. The glass bricks may be set in a flexible rubber base H] as shown in Figure 2 with a step cut ll in the side wall l2 of the opening l3 into which the brick is being set. The chamber l4 carries the sign elements l5 set in a plate l6 which plate is carried on step I! in the side walls l2 and the brick may be removed from above and then the sign element removed without having to work from underneath as shown in Figure 1. This type of device shown in Figure 2 may be used for crossing signs or where there is no room under the side walk.

In Figure 3 the use of the sign is shown for a rail road crossing warning, in which the rail road tracks are shown as R, and the road bed as S. The cross signs set in the hard surface or cement are shown as I9, 20, and 2|. The letters of the signs are shown as 22 and 23 when said letters are made separate, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figures 4 and 5, I have shown a method of making a letter shaped metal receptacle of insert D made with the outer portion or base 25 the form of the letter desired, said base being closed on the sides and bottom and having a glass brick 26 set in the upper portion thereof the same shape as the letter. Below this brick there is set n dling by the metal frame work.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

In a device of the class described, the combination of separate containers set into a ground surface having a predetermined surface outline; transparent covers formed in said containers; continuously formed illuminating elements the shape of the respective containers and arranged therein.

RANCH S. KIMBALL. 

